The US Army’s 1st Infantry Division has taken command of NATO forces in eastern Kosovo, ending more than a decade during which US National Guard units held that responsibility. Throughout those years, they worked alongside NATO allies and local institutions to maintain security and freedom of movement.
The transfer of authority took place on October 12 at Camp Bondsteel. The Florida National Guard’s 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team handed over responsibility for the Kosovo Force’s Regional Command-East to the US Army’s 1st Infantry Division.
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Eupolitics reported on the end of this chapter of the American presence in NATO’s peacekeeping operation in Kosovo, with “Bota sot” carrying the report. In its announcement, the US Army explained that the transfer of command ends an uninterrupted period of National Guard leadership that began in 2015.
Between 2003 and 2015, responsibility for KFOR’s eastern sector rotated between National Guard formations and active-duty US Army units. From 2015 until October 2026, the brigade-level command was led exclusively by the National Guard.
The final rotation began in February 2026, when the Florida National Guard’s 53rd Infantry Brigade took over the mission. Commanded by Colonel Sam Sargeant, it led approximately 1,400 personnel from 12 NATO member and partner countries.
With the transfer of command from Sargeant in October, the 1st Infantry Division returned to Kosovo. It was this same formation that brought the first US ground troops into Kosovo in 1999.
The NATO-led KFOR mission was established in June 1999, following the end of the war in Kosovo, under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244.
The United States has led the structure now known as Regional Command-East since the mission’s establishment. It comprises several multinational components: a maneuver battalion, a non-military battalion, an aviation unit and logistical support elements.
The National Guard’s involvement in KFOR is documented at least as far back as 2001, when a unit from Pennsylvania deployed to Kosovo. Then, in July 2003, the 28th Infantry Division became the first National Guard formation to lead Multinational Brigade-East, as the structure also known as Task Force Falcon was then called.
National Guard formations from Virginia, Texas, Indiana and California subsequently also took command of the mission.
Throughout these rotations, American personnel served alongside NATO allies and partner forces, seeking to ensure that every citizen in Kosovo could live in a safe and secure environment and enjoy freedom of movement.
Lieutenant General Jonathan Stubbs, director of the US Army National Guard, said its soldiers’ role had gone beyond supporting KFOR, as they had also helped shape the mission itself.
According to Stubbs, their leadership, the partnerships they forged and their commitment to stability have strengthened NATO’s presence in Kosovo, leaving a legacy for those taking over the mission.
The work of American soldiers over the years extended beyond patrols and security operations. They helped build the capabilities of the Kosovo Security Force, worked with Kosovo Police to counter illegal activities and engaged with community leaders to identify concerns that could fuel tensions.
In 2010, around 800 American soldiers from North Dakota and 13 other states and territories served in the eastern sector mission. Troops from Albania, Greece, Poland, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine served alongside them.
In addition to their security duties, mission personnel organized civil-military activities, health education programs, English lessons and infrastructure projects. One initiative involved schools in six villages in the municipality of Kaçanik, whose students exchanged videos with their peers in the US state of North Dakota.
A NATO restructuring in 2019 transformed KFOR’s eastern command into Regional Command-East. It also incorporated liaison and monitoring teams tasked with meeting residents and local leaders, identifying concerns and monitoring tensions on the ground.
An emergency response in northern Kosovo in 2022 also illustrated the role of American medical capabilities. A medical evacuation team used a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to transport a soldier requiring immediate treatment from Camp Nothing Hill to a hospital in Pristina. The flight took approximately 20 minutes, compared with the more than 90 minutes that ground transport would have required.
In 2025, Oregon National Guard personnel conducted joint patrols with Kosovo Police in the north of the country. These patrols aimed to deter illegal activities and maintain security.
Explaining their involvement, US Lieutenant Mario Campbell said the task focused on support, observation and building trust. He explained that the soldiers were not there to take the lead, but to work alongside Kosovo Police.
Even after relinquishing command of Regional Command-East, the National Guard will remain part of the mission. Its contribution will continue through personnel and units serving in several support capacities.
At the end of the National Guard’s final rotation, Colonel Sargeant noted that operational results were not the only measure of the mission’s impact. He also linked that impact to the relationships of trust built with communities.
Sargeant said that long after the patrol records had been archived, the true measure of their work would remain the trust they had managed to build.
He also stressed that the visible but calm presence of American soldiers, together with their international partners, had helped preserve peace during periods of local tension.
In closing, Sargeant said their contribution had not been limited to preventing conflict. He said they had helped create the security and stability needed for families to go about their daily lives without fear, and that this was precisely the legacy they were leaving behind.
